Host Marcia Franklin interviews Phil Klay, an author and veteran of the war in Iraq. Klay’s first work, "Redeployment," won the National Book Award for Fiction in 2014.

The 12 short stories in "Redeployment" draw on Klay’s experiences as a U.S. Marine Corps Public Affairs Officer in the Anbar province of Iraq from 2007 to 2008.

Franklin talks with Klay about why he wanted to write the book and how he developed the different voices in in his stories, which include a Mortuary Affairs Officer and a chaplain. Klay also reads from his book, and shares some of his thoughts on the war.

In addition to his book, Klay’s writing has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Granta and Tin House. He was a finalist for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award and received the National Book Critics’ Circle John Leonard Award for the best debut in any genre of writing.

Originally aired: 06/12/2015